


Together We Are One

by Ki_writes



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Cute, Fluff, It's a LAMS thing, John is a cutie, M/M, The fluff is starting to kill me, aquarium nerd, it has started, modernau, my first LAMS fic, proposal, turtle nerd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-17 04:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5854000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ki_writes/pseuds/Ki_writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John let out a loud gasp. “Alex, no way!” </p><p>His boyfriend nodded, a grin playing on his lips. “Yes, way!” </p><p>There it was, the perfect building. Wonderfully built, beautifully designed, with a large neon sign plastered over the front. </p><p>“The aquarium!” </p><p>(Alexander has big plans, and John is a little sea creature - particularly turtle - lover)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be a few shortish chapters (depending on how much I write in a sitting, really), and it's fluff. All sorts of cute fluff, with a special event in the eennd! There's one French thing in here, and as others, I used google translate. So my apologies if it is not structured correctly. 
> 
> French translation:  
> What's your problem? - Quel est ton problème?

Alexander awoke early, as per usual, and made his way to the small kitchen in his apartment. The intoxicating scent of coffee slowly filled the air, accompanied by the sound of clanking on a keyboard. This was a common routine every morning. He would rise up - often before the sun - make fresh coffee, sit down at his computer and check his blog, responding to as many comments as possible, before writing a new post about whatever crossed his mind. 

From there, the typing would shift to essays he had to write, some for the President, some in his own interest; something he would be defending during an upcoming debate, or anything along those lines. If an essay was to be written for the president, Alex would sit there, consumed in thoughts (more-so than with usual essays), and rake his brain for any material to use. Nothing ever seemed right to him when it was the President who would speak the words being written. Washington was not the best public speaker, nor did he truly have a way with a pen and paper. It was these reasons that Alex constantly found himself writing, and re-writing speeches for the President. Not that he disliked it. 

Hours trailed by, with Alexander occasionally making a quiet snort of disgust, most likely at someone's distasteful comment. Probably a comment pertaining to racism, or perhaps pertaining to sexuality. Hamilton did not tread lightly with comments such as that on his blog. Now, as he sat there, typing away, the clock in the bottom corner of the screen read 7:30. 

He pressed Post in the bottom corner of his screen, and sighed contently, leaning back in his chair. He sipped at his now cold coffee and smiled slightly, waiting for the first comments to start flooding in. His post was lengthy, detailing a dream he had the night before, and later hinting at his plans for the day. He stated; _It's a big day today. Endless hours of waiting, planning, thinking, and it all will come down to this one moment. Indeed, a flourish of fun and excitement awaits my beloved and I today. I will no doubt keep you all up to minute as the day ticks by. Much love, your obedient servant, A. Ham._

Alex allowed his mind to drift after he pressed Post, hearing the occasional beep of a new comment. Despite this his brain was occupied by the hours ahead. He had the day all planned out. From what they would eat during lunch, to the pictures he wanted to take. Every little aspect meant something to him, every step he took would have a purpose behind it, and at the end of the day, in the perfect place, Alex would finally get the chance to get do-

A noise pulled him from the thoughts, that he quickly registered to be the shuffling of someone in his bedroom. Alex quickly shut the computer off and began scribbling nonsense on to a blank note pad, filling the room with more absent noise.

He was soon met by an overwhelming warmth from behind him, as the sensation of lips against his neck consumed his senses. 

John Laurens growled in Alexander’s ear playfully, gently rubbing his forearm. 

“Why, good morning to you too,” Hamilton couldn't help but giggle, and press a delicate kiss on the arms around his neck. “Did you sleep well?” 

John released the man, and moved to lean against his mahogany desk. “Oh yes, until I realized that my pillow was gone,” he gestured lazily in Alex’s direction, before smiling and sauntering into the kitchen. By now the coffee and Alex had made was cold, so John decided to brew a new pot. The coffee had been sitting in the pot for roughly two hours.

“You know, you don't have to brew an _entire_ pot of coffee at 5 in the morning.” 

Alex shrugged off the comment, rising to follow his boyfriend. John always looked priceless is the morning. His eyes still fuzzy from his slumber, his hair (usually) in a frizzy mess of curls and knots. This morning, however, he had taken his time getting up and composing himself. His face - perfectly dotted with constellations of freckles - was washed and carefully cared for, his hair had been brushed back into a loose ponytail. 

“Force of habit, I suppose,” Alex let out a tiny giggle. “John, I have a big plan for today, I want you to go get dressed so we can go in about fifteen minutes,” 

A small smile crept across John’s face. His eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Where are we going?” 

“That, my love, is for me to know,” a warm arm wrapped around John’s waist. “And for you to find out,” 

John couldn't help but blush, a feeling of excitement arousing within him. There wasn't anything special about today, their anniversary wasn't anywhere near, yet. It wasn't anyone's birthday, so it couldn't be that. Maybe Alex truly wanted a day off to enjoy without any pressures from his busy work life. A rare, but holy occasion for Hamilton. 

John took his mug of warm coffee and wandered back to his bedroom to finish getting ready. As soon as the door shut, Alex pulled out his phone, opening a group chat filled with his long-time friends. The chat had been kept a secret from John, for multiple reasons. 

From Betsey <3 at 7:03am  
When are you leaving Alex? 

To The FederalFam at 7:46am  
I just told John to get ready 

From French Baguette at 7:50am  
Today it the day, non? 

From The Tailor at 7:53

Freckles won't even know what hit him 

From Betsey <3 at 7:56am  
I know he’ll love it, Alexander, you picked the perfect one!

From The Tailor at 7:56am  
OH. So Eliza gets to see it and we don't? I see 

From French Baguette at 7:57am  
What is this I hear? You keep this a secret from Herc and I? Quel est ton problème? 

From the Tailor at 7:57am  
Don’t you ignore us, Alexander, we matter too, you know 

Alexander sighed, smiling gently. 

To The FederalFam at 7:59am  
I'll text you all later tonight 

From French Baguette at 8:03am  
Oui. Good luck, mon petite lion. 

From The Tailor at 8:04am  
Can't wait to see the pictures, man 

From Betsey <3 at 8:04am  
Good luck, love! 

“Are you ready?” John's soothing voice pulled Alex’s eyes away from his phone screen. He sure was a sight. He had changed into dark blue jeans, and a loose fitting, v-neck t-shirt. 

Alexander nodded, grabbing his backpack (prepacked with _all_ the things he would need for the day), his car keys, and two water bottles. The two men laced their fingers together as they left their comfy apartment, heading straight for the car. Alex, of course would drive. As soon as they pulled out of the parking lot, John was nervously fidgeting in his seat, scanning the signs passing them by on the road, searching for any cue as to where they were going. 

The freeway sped by, and the time seemed to go in slow motion for Alex. His nerves were already starting to get the best of him. Oh man, if it was starting this early… John, in the meantime, was bubbling over with excitement. He had made a few blank guesses, hoping to get some reaction out of his boyfriend that may have hinted at where they were going. Nothing ever showed clearly on the small man’s face.

Alex grinned inwardly, though, as he pulled into the parking lot of their destination. 

John let out a loud gasp. “Alex, no way!” 

His boyfriend nodded, a grin playing on his lips. “Yes, way!” 

There it was, the perfect building. Wonderfully built, beautifully designed, with a large neon sign plastered over the front. 

“The aquarium!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Alex dive in to the aquarium, and it seems like everyone except for John knows something about the day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually really enjoying writing this because fluff. I love fluff too much. And This aquarium is roughly based on one that I have here in the local area. Hopefully it isn't too difficult to imagine. 
> 
> Introducing Jessica, the crustacean lady. She's only in this chapter but I like the name.

John was practically _bouncing_ with excitement as he and Alexander stood in the ticket line. Their hands were intertwined, mainly so John could gawk at posters and screens and not be left behind as the line continued to shift forward. Screens all around them showed images of sea creatures soaring through the water effortlessly, leaving behind gentle traces of bubbles. This truly was his domain. 

“My name is Alexander Hamilton,” his boyfriend smiled at the woman behind the counter. “I pre-ordered two tickets last week.” The woman quickly typed in his name and her eyes widened as she passed him a quick glance, to which he nodded his head slightly. “Of course,” she said knowingly. “Two day-passes and a few extras thrown in.” 

She printed the tickets and handed them to Alex. “Have a fin-tastic day,” John almost snorted with delight. Those were the kind of cheesy puns he lived to hear at an aquarium. His curiosity towards the woman peaked, though, as they walked down a corridor riddled with small gift shops. “Why was the woman acting like that, babe?” 

Alexander responded with a shrug, giving his boyfriend a sideways glance, showing off his pearly white teeth. “Who knows, maybe she is just having a good day,”John was about to question further, when they reached a turnstile, where a man took their tickets and tore them in half, giving the two men the stubs in return. That man seemed to know… something as soon as he read the name on the tickets, too. John’s eyebrows furrowed together as they passed him. 

Maybe everyone knew him by his name. Of course they knew him, but maybe they were just surprised to see that the Secretary of the Treasury was taking a day at the _aquarium_ of all places. It did seem out of place, John supposed. It’s not every day that someone who works with the President stops by. Still. 

“Alexander, that’s so strange that-” John’s eyes widened. A blue atmosphere took over as the faint scent of salt filled his nose. An enormous tank lay in front of him, filled with bright colored fish, of different sizes, shapes, and species. His hand disconnected from Alexander’s. John wandered forward, pressing a gentle hand up against the glass, the blue water casting a shadow on his face. “Wow…” his whisper was almost inaudible. 

Alexander stood behind him, both hands in his pockets, watching his boyfriend become completely consumed by the awe of the room. It smelled different in there, a scent that Alex couldn’t exactly put his finger on. It was something he definitely was not accustomed to. A small grin crossed his features. John looked mesmerized, and Alex didn’t want to interrupt him. He knew this was a place that John truly felt at home and comfortable; surrounded by creatures that he admired and studied all the time. 

Suddenly he turned around. “Alex…” 

“Yes?” 

“Look at this,” he whispered, gesturing to the assorted fish on the inside of the thick glass. His boyfriend joined him at his side.

Alex nodded. “They’re pretty aren’t they?” 

“Pretty?” John asked, as though amazed _that_ was the word Alex had chosen to use. “No, they’re beautiful. And so well cared for! You can tell because of their colors. See, this one right here.” He pointed at the glass, at a vibrant yellow fish that swum by peacefully, seeming to show off his grand looks. “He’s a Yellow Tang. His color is so bright because he’s obviously in water that has an even balance of salt in it, and it looks as though he’s been paired with good species that compliment him, there aren’t any-” he slowly faded off, feeling blush cover his face. Alexander glanced at him expectantly. 

“Let’s get moving,” John insisted, wanting to hide his embarrassment. He always went off on tangents when it came to things like this. He knew he would have to control himself today, for the sake of his boyfriend and anyone who could possibly hear what he was saying. 

Alex let out a quiet chuckle, pulling a map out for both of them to view. “And where would you like to go, my love?” 

“Let’s view this tank for a few minutes, and then maybe we can-”John gasped grabbing the map to take a closer look. “Is that starfish petting? And there’s a sea turtle viewing?” His face instantly fell. “Oh, those are pre-purchase only…” His eyes continued to scan the page and Alex giggled. 

“John, my dearest, you underestimate me.” He pulled out two tickets to the sea turtle viewing from his back pocket. “It’s like I don’t know you!” 

John pulled him in for a hug, mumbling into his shoulder, “You’re the best,” 

Alexander nodded, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I know,” 

~~~~~~~

“And this is a Queen Angelfish,” John continued. They had stood at the same tank in the opening of the aquarium for about twenty five minutes, circling it a few times as John explained various species of fish to Alex. Remember when John told himself that he wouldn’t nerd out? That lasted all of five minutes, until Alexander asked him a question about a ray he saw lying on the sand in the tank. Alex now knew the name (common and scientific) of half of the creatures in the tank in front of them. 

“John, I don't mean to interrupt, but we ought to get going to the starfish exhibits, the petting starts in five minutes,” a smile adorned his face. 

“Oh goodness!” John snatched Alex’s hand and walked hastily away from the gorgeous exhibit. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

They made their way to a new room, beautifully decorated with nets and different pieces of ships that seemed to have been pulled directly from a boat at the bottom of the sea. There were dozens of waist high (to John, at least. They were more at height with Alexander’s mid-chest) tanks, filled with crystal clear water, and countless crustaceans. A nice looking woman stood next to the tank ahead, telling a small child of a starfish he was currently trying to pry from the glass. 

She noticed the two and immediately left the child with another worked to greet the men. “Hi, welcome to our tide pools,” she smiled sweetly. “Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens, yes?” 

John nodded, once again floored that _so many people_ knew that they would be there. Or, at least, knew them enough to recognize them. 

“Wonderful.” her voice was soft. “Thank you for joining us this morning, would you like to meet some of our friends here?” 

John’s eyes lit up and he passed a glance at the tank nearest to him. “Here, come wash your hands, and I'll introduce you to a few of them,” 

~~~~~~ 

“Moana here is one of my favorites,” the woman - Jessica, as her name tag indicated - continued to explain. John and Alex had spent the past thirty minutes sauntering through the room, with Jessica telling them stories on how various friends in the tanks came to be at the aquarium. John, as excited as ever, added little cookies of information to her presentation, unable to help himself. They got to hold a starfish, feed an urchin, and watch a sponge retract in the face of danger, plus countless other fun little activities that made John’s heart soar. 

All the while, Alexander kept his interest, something not easily achievable. He would hold John’s free hand while he reached into a tank, asking questions about different aspects of a creature. It was impressive, how interest he seemed in what the girl had to say, as though he were analyzing the small crustacean on the spot. Seeing John so happy over the prospect of the creatures made Alex’s heart warm, and he found himself getting lost thinking of him. 

“How long have you worked here?” John asked Jessica curiously, while he washed his hands in the warm water sink. 

“Three years,” she mused. “These little guys are like my family now, I can't imagine leaving them,” she gestured back to the room. 

“I understand,” John's voice trailed off. 

“Secretary Hamilton, sir,” Alexander raised his eyebrows. 

“No need for the formalities,” he said, though still enjoying the way the title called to him. He never grew tired of it. 

Jessica nodded. “Right. I just wanted to thank you for your work in the Treasury,” to which Alexander gave a brief nod, grabbing John’s now dry hand. 

“Thank you for the tour with all these wonderful friends,” she giggled, a tint of blush covering her cheeks. 

“It was an honor, and good luck to you,” Alexander's eyes widened slightly at her latter comment. 

“Good luck at wh-” 

“Come on, John, we should go check out the outdoor exhibit,” Alexander tugged him away, passing a smile over his shoulder at Jessica, who looked more flushed than before. 

~~~~~~ 

“Would you look at that,” John mused, humming delightfully at a catfish that swam around in a tank that was as tall as John. It had been a few hours of observing different fish, giving impromptu animal lessons, and hearing speeches made by aquarium workers, to which John surely found things to add as a whisper in Alexander’s ear. “Such beautiful algae,” 

“You're the only person I know who would say that algae is beautiful,” 

“At least I'm not boring, right?” John giggled, leaning his head on Alexander's shoulder. 

“We ought to get lunch, don't you think?” A caring hand ran through John’s curls. “Come on, we have private seating for two,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, maybe this is going to be a bit longer than I expected. It may end in the next chapter (if it's really long), or I may have enough to bring out two more chapters. We'll see! I hope you enjoyed this cute one! They seem to be working out as relatively short (1,600 words is kind of short, okay), so we'll just ride the waves. 
> 
> See you in the next one!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mm, it's lunch time. More fluff. That's all this story is anyway, FLUFF IT UP.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments on last chapter made my heart so warm. Y'all are the best. Enjoy this. More fluffy. I think the last chapter may be the last one. I think.

“ _Alexander Hamilton_!” 

John could almost feel his jaw hit the floor. A man escorted them into a secluded room in the corner of the aquarium restaurant, set with a single table that was covered in a white tablecloth and had beautiful silverware laid out next to two plates. A glass vase filled with some small plant sat in the center, and the room. Oh gosh. John didn't think that a room could get anymore perfect.

The room felt rather large to John, yet it still felt cozy and warm. Perhaps it was the light being given off by the blue waters of the tank. And the tank! From floor to ceiling. Filled with sharks. SHARKS. Smaller sharks of course, but they were _sharks_. The lights were dimmed, highlighting the shadowy figures and outlines of various sharks as they swam seamlessly through the water. 

Aside from the room being blue from the water, the walls were a pale off-white color, with a few different reef looking painting towards the bottom of them. 

“Did you do this?” he asked, bewildered. 

Alexander merely nodded, leading John to the table by his hand and pulling out the chair for him to sit down. “I may be inconsiderate sometimes, John, but I do know you very well.” 

“I can't believe you…” his voice trailed off, his body relaxing comfortably into the chair. 

Alex sat down on the opposite side of the table, watching intently as John’s eyes scanned the room. The day was going _swimmingly_... Alexander held in a giggle at his own joke. _Damn, I'm funny_. 

He ran a hand through his long black hair, his mind beginning to roll already. John was great. No, not great, he was perfect. He was the first person that Alex knew who was so kind, so humble, and so caring. With the vision, the vigor, and the vim of ten people. The way his curly hair settled on his shoulders, his gorgeous (and endless) freckles that covered his nose, cheeks, and almost every other section of his body. This man, was truly the most perfect human being that God had ever created.

The only person who could come close to Laurens in kindness would be Eliza. Although, maybe Alexander thought she was so nice because she was the only woman who tolerated his ‘boy drama’ as she referred to it as. Alex didn’t think of himself as drama. But. He had to admit, there were those days. Everyone had them didn’t they? He recalled one occasion where he and John were fighting (coincidentally days before they started dating, so many years ago now. But that’s a story for another time). 

They wouldn’t speak to each other. For anything. Lafayette and Hercules turned into their messengers for the length of three whole days. Alexander was having a particularly rough day, and he went barging into Eliza’s dorm room without warning, and immediately began rambling about how he couldn’t believe that ‘John would have the audacity to have Hercules tell him that ALEX needed to come pick up his notebook that he left in John’s dorm room. How could John even say such a thing?’ 

Well, Alexander (being the Hamilton that he is) had rambled for a good minute before he realized that Eliza was laying in her bed, tissue box in hand (spare tissues lying virtually _everywhere_ mind you), her hair looked like a bird had made a nest in it. She had a fever of 101 degrees. 

Yes, Eliza. The sweet angel she was. 

“Hi, I'm Javon, and I'll be serving you today. What can I get you to drink?” 

“Oh…” Alexander blushed brightly, having been too consume in his own thoughts to even think about what he wanted to drink. “I'll have water. Laurens?” 

“Lemonade, please,” 

The man nodded and walked away, closing the door behind him. They were left in a comfortable silence, gazing at each other, each with their own small grin. Now, it was John’s turn to analyze his boyfriend, looking contently at his features; his hair (which was down today, a nice change of pace for the man), his deep, dark eyes...

“So,” Laurens was the first to speak up after breaking his spell. “I got you something,” 

Alexander sat up, elbows resting on the table. “You did?” he hadn't been expecting anything, especially since the aquarium had been a surprise to the other man.

John nodded, pulling his backpack into his lap. “I wasn't going to give it to you for a few weeks, but this is as good a time as any.” He handed Alex a small box, wrapped tightly in light blue tissue paper. The object was relatively heavy in his hand, for being as small as it was. “I grabbed it this morning while I was getting ready.” 

“What is this for?” Alex asked, his eyes fixed on the carefully wrapped package. John said nothing, merely motioning for him to open it. 

Inside were two parts, one was a wonderful leather notebook. It was a light, golden color, and the smooth exterior felt soft against his calloused fingertips. He opened the front cover, seeing it covered in golden, eloquent writing. 

_My dearest, Alexander,_

“I hand wrote it myself,” John chimed in, watching Alexander carefully. “They inscribed it into the cover,” 

_I wish there were words to describe the way I feel for you. Since I met you, my life has been full of nothing but meaning and delight. You make me feel like I belong somewhere, like I have a purpose in waking up every single day. That purpose, I've come to know, it to spend my time with you. To love you unconditionally in the way that you love me. Please, let us always cherish this, and the time we have here together._

_Ever yours, John Laurens._

Tears pricked at the corners of Alexander’s eyes. 

“Open up the little box,” John prodded quietly.

The next box was long, but still confined. Alex slipped the lid off of the top, and revealed a pen. A beautiful fountain pen that had a shiny black coating over it. On the side, his signature had been inscribed into the metal. 

“Do you like it?” 

The door swung open, and the young man returned carrying a water in one hand and a lemonade in the other. “Here you are- oh,” he stopped short, placing their glasses on the table. “Am I interrupting?”

“No. no,” John assured him, still watching his boyfriend make no motion to recognize the boy’s presence. “I’ll order for him too, if you’re ready to take them?” John knew what Alexander would want, and ordered easily for the both of them. Javon left again, closing the door with a bit more care this time. 

“John, I… I don’t know what to say,” For once, the mighty Alexander Hamilton was at a loss for words. Well, the occasion had happened once before, on the first night him and John had really gotten intimate with each other. And what a night that was. 

But other than that, Alexander always seemed to have the right words to say at the right time. He always had a rebuttal to anything that anybody tried to defend. In fact, his favorite pass time may be considered proving others on the Internet wrong, or even better… proving Thomas Jefferson wrong. The ongoing Twitter feud between the two of them was outrageous, and too many damn tweets for any man to understand.

“Please,” John's voice fell suddenly, becoming a bit more sheepish. “Please tell me you like it,” 

“Like it? No, John, I… I love it.” They finally made eye contact again. It was short lived, though, Alexander quickly turned away to wipe a tear that fell down his face. “It’s perfect, my love. Just like you,” 

Now it was John’s turn to avoid his boyfriend's gaze, as blush overtook his features for what felt like the millionth time that day. 

Suddenly, Alex’s heart picked up pace as he saw John, looking almost… vulnerable. His hands lay in his lap, and he stared down at them, seeming to study his own fingernails. The way the light his his eyes and made them shine even brighter than they usually did; something Alex didn't know was possible. Yet there he was, looking like the image of pure beauty. 

_Maybe…_ Alexander began to search through the front pocket of his backpack, which lay at his feet. _Maybe now I should…_ His hand found a small black box.

A knock on the door.

Alexander’s hand froze. 

A head poked through the door with a plate in hand. 

“Come in,” John called out, pulling himself from the trance he was in. “I’m starved, aren’t you, Alexander?” 

He snapped back to reality. Snatching his hand from his bag, Alexander shook his head. “Yeah, definitely,” 

_I can’t believe I almost did that._

They ate in peace, watching the sharks drift by, occasionally stopping to stare at them through the glass (or so it felt to John, who would then take the invitation to enter into a staring contest with as many sharks as possible). As quickly as their food had arrived it was gone. Alex had sheepishly thanked John for ordering for him when he was too enveloped in his gift to pay attention. 

“What do you think, John? It’s 1:25. Should we head out and get going on the other half of the aquarium? The turtle meeting is at 3:00, so we have some time to kill.” Alexander stood up, gathering his things in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, making sure to fully close the front pocket. 

“Most definitely,” John did the same, before reaching his hand out to grab Alexander’s. Together they exited the gorgeous room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAH. You all thought Alex was gonna do it right then and there huh? Nooppe! 
> 
> I managed to snake in so many bad puns into this, as well as a reference directly from a poem that I am competing with at a regional competition next weekend. And... just really bad puns. I love this. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. As always, comments, kudos, whatever you may want to leave is very appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the moment arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow wow! This is so delayed. I don't even know why, the chapter has been completed for a week now, I just never got around to editing and posting. I will have you all know that this was very difficult to write, because the idea and actions of proposals always make me blush, so I was giggling like a little girl the whole time writing it. 
> 
> Anywho, here it is. A 2,600 word cute, fluffy finale. Enjoy.

After lunch, Alex and John explored about half of the aquarium, slowly taking their planned route to the turtle encounter. John was bouncing with excitement as soon as the doors opened to a rather large room. The time was 2:45 when they arrived at the doors to the turtles’ habitat. Alexander heard John mumbling to himself (barely), when they were met by a very optimistic looking boy. 

His hair was short, slicked back, and he wore the aquarium staff t-shirt. 

“Mr Hamilton! Mr Laurens!” the young man stuck his hand out eagerly to shake both of theirs. “I’ve been waiting for your arrival!” 

John looked puzzled. “We’re early, are we not?” 

The boy laughed. “Well, you’re early for the scheduled time, but since you’re the only two in this session, I haven’t had anyone here to entertain,” 

“Only two in the session?”

“John, judging by how the rest of this day has gone so far, you should know that things like this are bound to happen,” Alexander put his hands on his hips and giggled. 

John blushed, a blur of embarrassment - and his hands - covering his face. 

“Please, come in!” 

~~~~~~ 

“This is Lucy, she's a green sea turtle.” The boy, Jake was his name, explained while he fed the turtle a small fish. “She used to live all the way in California, but they had her shipped here because her old aquarium closed down. They hadn't been taking care of their animals,” his voice was soft while he spoke of the rather large creature treading water in front of them. 

The three men were sitting waist deep in warm water, Alex clinging to John closely. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but being so close to a turtle in its’ own domain - a turtle who could probably knock Alexander over with a nudge of his shell - well, that made him nervous, if only a little. John must have sensed his nerves, and held his boyfriend’s hand while he bent down to graze his fingertips across the turtle's shell. 

“See this scar right here?” Jake pointed to a folding portion of scar tissues on her neck. “She was actually bit by a shark who she shared her old enclosure with. The shark was thought to me very gentle and not a predator, but…” he shook his head, giving the gentle turtle another fish. “They obviously had no idea what they were talking about.” 

“Apparently not,” John frowned. “Poor thing,” Lucy seemed open and loving to John’s touch. 

“She's gotten along really well with some of the other turtles we have here, but she obviously needs a lot more space, due to her size.” 

Yes, the exhibit was indeed huge. It covered the vast expanse of a large room, the water went underground, and there was a makeshift beach for the turtle to bask on. Plenty of room for the one little girl. The exhibit was surrounded by a glass wall, that went up to about waist height. 

John couldn't believe he was sitting in the shallow water with a sea turtle, actually feeling the ridges of her shell, watching her head retract into her shell when something spooked her. She was magnificent. Gentle, yet strong at the same time. Nothing could get better than this; Alexander next to him, gently holding his hand in the water. He may have been shaking slightly, but it was still cute. John knew this wasn't exactly Alexander’s forte, being in swim trunks in the same water with a sea turtle that rivaled his size. To John, it was the nicest gesture. 

“Looks like she wants to go for a swim.” Jake noted as Lucy slowly slid deeper into the water. “Let's join her!”

Was this really allowed? Was John really about to do this? To swim next to one of the most glorious creatures he'd ever been in the presence of. His eyes widened as he withdrew his shirt, standing up to follow Jake into the water. 

Alex stood back, leaving the water, in favor of searching through his bag for his phone. He hadn't checked it at all that day, and his lock screen was covered in messages from his secret group chat. 

From French Baguette at 10:56am  
Please try to keep the public displays of affection to minimum, it makes people uncomfortable

From Betsey <3 at 10:59am   
Why would you even mention that, Laf? 

From French Baguette at 11:02am   
Just wanting to keep them wholesome in the public eye.

From The Tailor at 11:04am   
He has a point, ‘Liza. They tend to kiss a lot in public. 

From Betsey <3 at 11:05am   
That's because they're in love!! 

From French Baguette at 11:10am   
Yes well, at the very least they could, how you say, keep it in their pants when in public.

From Betsey <3 at 11:18am  
Lafayette, it isn't their fault you managed to find them in the shower during college, maybe you should have just kept to yourself

From French Baguette at 11:19am   
ELIZA NOBODY CAN IGNORE THOSE NOISES THEY WERE AS THOUGH THE CRUSTS OF THE EARTH OPENED AND THE DEVIL WAS SHOUTING AT US MORTALS 

From The Tailor at 11:35am   
Laf has a point, ‘Liza. They are kinda rowdy. Anybody who has shared a room with either of them would know that. 

From Betsey <3 at 12:02pm   
I refuse to associate with you two for the rest of the day.

An amused smile crept across Alex’s face as he continued to scroll through their conversation. 

From French Baguette at 12:38pm   
Eliza I can see you glancing at us, why are you ignoring me

From Betsey <3 at 12:39pm   
Not associating with you for the rest of the day 

His friends. 

From The Tailor at 12:40pm   
‘Liza come ooonnn… I know you can hear me from there. I have a piece of cake for you if you come over here 

Betsey <3 has left the ground conversation. 

Alex tried his hardest to stifle his giggle. 

From The Tailor at 12:51pm   
I didn't have any cake 

Betsey <3 has been added to the grip conversation. 

Much to Alexander’s surprise, his phone buzzed in his hand. 

From French Baguette at 3:36pm  
Alexander, my petite lion, have you asked our dear John yet? 

From Betsey <3 at 3:37pm  
For some reason I feel like we would have pictures if he did.

At 3:37pm  
Also, why am I back in this group chat

Alex decided it was enough, and he opened up his camera, finally remember why he had gotten his phone in the first place. He snapped a quick picture of John in the water, his face merely inches away from the sea turtle, and sent it to his friends. 

To The FederalFam at 3:40pm   
[Image attached]  
I think he's having a good time. 

“Alex!” John called to him, his lips tightened into a pout. “Get in here!” 

“I don't know, John, that turtle is really-” 

“Gentle.” John finished his sentence for him, an expectant look on his face. “She is very gentle.” 

_Damn._ Alexander knew there was no way of getting out of this one. He pulled his shirt off and hastily made it back into the water. He stopped as soon as the water reached his shoulders, for the sake of wanting to remain planted on the sand underneath him. Also… 

“What are you waiting for?” John must have noticed his hesitation and Alexander scoffed. 

“Not everybody can be six feet tall, John. And I…” his voice shrunk, a rare action for the small man. “I can't swim,” he blushed and looked away from the astonished eyes of Jake, who was silently feeding Lucy. 

John’s eyes softened and he extended a warm hand out to his boyfriend, who gently grasped it in return. He pulled slowly, and Alexander lost his grip on the floor, but was supported completely by John. The sight was cute, nonetheless, again. 

They spent a good hour in the waters with Lucy and Jake, learning things about her, about her species, about the ocean in general, and even a little bit about Jake’s life. The boy was certainly well educated on most any topic John had thrown at him. They ranged from sea turtles to whales, to sharks, to sea pressures, to migration patterns, to gestation periods, to- well, a lot. By the time the two got in dry clothing (changing once again in the bathroom), they were thoroughly impressed. 

“Mr Laurens, Mr Hamilton,” Jake shook both of their hands once again, a look of awe covering his face as he thought through who was in his presence. “It has been an honor to have you here, and I wish you both the best of luck in the future.” His smile was warm and sincere. 

Hamilton was the first to answer quickly, nodding his head. “It was an honor to get such a great presentation from such an intelligible man like yourself,” Jake’s eyes lit up. “You clearly know what you’re talking about here.” 

“Gosh, thank you, sir, that means-” 

“Jake, your next group is here,” a woman smiled politely from the other end of the room. Jake nodded his head and gave his thanks to John and Alex one more time before shuffling off to greet his new group. 

The two men stood there, looking into each other’s eyes for a moment, before sharing a gentle kiss. 

~~~~~~~~~

“You know, Alexander, this has been the best day,” Alex nodded his agreement, intently watching a jellyfish bounce in the water.

They both smelled faintly of salt water, but the scent was endearing to John. He gladly welcomed it. 

“Excuse me, this is the one hour mark, one hour until the aquarium closes.” a very kind voice over the intercom stated. Alexander's heart sped up and he could feel the color flush from his face. 

“We should go check out the last little bit of the aquarium,” John’s gentle voice brought him back and Alex flashed him one of his signature I'm-so-nervous-I-could-throw-up smiles.

Without another word they left the Jellyfish exhibits, still using the trail they had mapped out earlier in the day. With each step, Alex felt heavier, he felt the heat kicking in around him. Where in the world was this all day? 

“Alexander, my love, are you alright?” 

“Hm?” He pretended to be oblivious. “Oh, yes, I'm fine,” Alex winced as he heard his voice shake audibly, and knew John wasn't having any of it.

To John, this was only more reason to be suspicious. All day long, people had said such weird things to them. The interaction with Jake had gone normally enough, until he had mentioned something about their good luck together. John had shrugged it off as a kind gesture towards the two, a way of everyone perhaps showing their kindness towards the Secretary of the Treasury and his significant other. Still, though, all of it seemed rather… far fetched. 

“Alexander,” John paused, trying to carefully word his inquiry. “ All day today… people have been acting really strange.”

With the hand that wasn't locked with John’s, Alex thumbed at the object in his front jacket pocket, before humming - a way of trying to soothe himself. “You think so?” 

“Well yes, you haven't noticed?” 

He shrugged, leading the way at a bit of a faster pace, to their destination. 

“I suppose I haven't been able to pay attention much, I've been much too distracted by your beautiful eyes.” 

John blushed and shoved his side playfully. Their last exhibit of the day was gorgeous. It was a long tube like hallway, completely made out of glass (except for the bottom of course). Inside the tank were countless species of fish, peaceful sharks, sting rays, a few smaller turtles and so on. The sight took John’s breath away, and he leaned on the metal bar in front of the glass - his eyes wide - placing a hand against the cold, curved surface. 

In that moment, Alexander finally felt the weight of what he was about to do. Was this really something John would take kindly to? Was this something that he would laugh at? Did John actually love him in that way? So many thoughts flashed through his mind, and his stomach turned. Nobody was around, but Alexander knew why. 

“Hey, John..?” he took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “Listen, I want to ask you a question.” 

“Yes?” The man at the glass turned around to give Alex his full attention. 

_Oh my god, look at his eyes again._ “Umm, okay… John, obviously you mean a lot to me, I love you like I've never loved anyone before. You're the most perfect man and… shit, I had this all planned out,” he scratched his head nervously and reached out to hold one of John’s hands. Seriously, how had he managed to keep his cool all day long? 

John's face was cautious, and he backed up against the metal bar behind him. “Alex…” 

“Usually, I know what to say, and I usually have everything planned out, but… this is what you do to me, Laurens! You manage to steal every single word from my brain, I'm rendered speechless when I'm with you,”

_It’s not that hard, just do it._

“It’s hard for me to imagine living this life without you, having to go through every single day without your love and support. I don’t _want_ to go through my life like that, so…” Alexander got down on his knee and pulled out the little velvet box from his jacket, revealing the beautiful band inside. 

“Oh my god…”

“John Laurens, will you marry me?” 

There was a silence in the air that left an awful feeling in the pit of Alex’s stomach. John was staring at him, wide eyed, and speechless. 

“Yes! Yes, a million times yes!” John practically _fell_ into Alex’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck tightly. More ‘yes yes yes’ comments were mumbled into his neck and Alex released a breath blissfully. A bright flash went off and Laurens jumped, lost his balance - he would have fallen off completely if Alex hadn't caught him. 

“What the hel-” 

“Congratulations!” a chorus of employees clapped as Jessica took far too many photos. 

A hand gripped at John’s heart, which was still pounding through his chest. “They knew this entire day?”

“This has been planned out from the moment we stepped through the door, my dear Laurens.” 

Blush covered John’s face, and he pulled his boyfri- _fiancé_ in for a passionate kiss. 

~~~~~~~~ 

“That's a cute one,” John pointed at the screen as Alex continued to flip through photos that the staff had taken at the aquarium. 

“I like this one. Your curls look great,” Hamilton absentmindedly massaged John's head, which lay peacefully in his lap. The turtle enthusiast was perfectly content on their couch, his right hand carefully grazing the beautiful silver band around his finger. 

“I think that one,” John pointed, and Alex stopped swiping. “My butt looks so good right there,” 

“On the contrary, John, your butt always looks fantastic.” 

A light tint of blush covered his cheeks and he very gently nudged Alex’s leg. “Regardless of when my butt does and doesn’t look good, let's send that one,” 

Alex chuckled and sent the photo to their group chat - the one that John was a part of. 

To The FederalFam at 9:51pm   
[Image Attached]   
I think he liked it. 

From Betsey <3 at 9:52pm   
YES!! SUCESS! 

From The Tailor at 9:52pm   
Congratulations, guys! That was the hardest thing to keep hidden 

From My Turtle <3 at 9:54pm   
Definitely one of the best days I've had in a very long time, babe <3 

To The FederalFam at 9:55pm   
Agreed, my dear! 

From French Baguette at 9:59pm   
Yes, félicitations à vous, but the important question is did you buy me a stuffed shark like I asked

There was a stiff silence in the room as both men read the message. 

“You promised Laf a shark?” 

“I may have mentioned it.” 

There was yet another long pause.

“We didn't get a stuffed shark, did we, Alex?” 

“I am sorry that you will so soon be a widow, my Dear Laurens,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all! Thank you all so much to those who followed me on this brief journey. Just wanted to let you all know that I am starting a new story, modern high school au, that will be entitled 'Hamil-Heights'. I'm so so excited to start publishing the pieces I have. 
> 
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact; Washington was actually really bad at writing speeches and he struggled with public speaking to an extent. Which is why I included that little bit about Alex writing all his speeches and such. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'll be on the next chapter pretty soon, but school is craziness as always. Your comments/kudos/reading is always greatly appreciated! 
> 
> The next chapter is a lot of the day at the aquarium, so it should be relatively long.


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